Have you invested in Real Estate?

REITs: Real Estate Investment Trusts

Years ago, some fellow agents and I decided to form an LLC and purchase a property together. By sharing the costs and the labor we figured we'd be able to buy investment property none of us could afford on our own. We thought it would be a way to try out investing and eventually diversify our investments with a variety of properties and learn alot about investing in the process. We bought one property, fixed it up and rented it out. 

We had plans of investing in several properties, but for many reasons we didn't buy any others together. Real estate agents tend to have fluctuating cash flow so decisions made by committee can be difficult. Some of the investors left the real estate business and wanted their money back. Two investors owned much larger shares and acted on their own decisions rather than asking the group. Anyway. It was a one and done situation. 

Taking the first step: Fundrise

Over the years I have really wanted to invest in real estate. When you have teenagers and the thought of college tuition bills on the horizon, it never seems like a good time to tie up investments in anything other than retirement and the college funds. Yet, I still wanted to find a good investment property. 

A few years ago I started hearing about a great company that crowd sourced funds to invest in local DC real estate projects. Sadly, because I lived in Maryland, I wasn't able to invest. After talking with the crowd sourcing company, Maryland state officials and my Maryland representatives, I was able to identify the problem and get them working together. Eventually, I was the first Maryland resident to invest wtih Fundrise. And I have to say, I have really enjoyed watching my investments, which are now tied to projects all over the country. 

If you have ever considered investing in real estate, but haven't had enough to buy a property yourself, you might enjoy Fundrise. They have income REITs and growth REITs and regional REITs. I started with a local investment to rehab a property in DC. Now I have investments in several cities. Interest4ed in learning more? Go to Fundrise.com

Curious what others on ActiveRain have done with REIT's? Check out my Q&A and share your experiences.